Products and methods for reconstituted cannabis with nicotine

ABSTRACT

Reconstituted cannabis is prepared by processing cannabis plant material by breaking it down into small particles to form a pulp. Water, starch and other materials are added, and the moisture content of the resulting slurry is adjusted to about 50%. This viscous slurry is then applied to a perforated steel belt using high power sprayers to form a sheet. The sheet is dried and additional additives such as nicotine, flavorings and liquid removed from the slurry are added to the sheet. The resulting reconstituted cannabis formed is homogenous and contains evenly distributed CBD and nicotine. The reconstituted cannabis sheets may be cut into small particles for use as cigarette or cigar filler. The reconstituted cannabis, in the form of sheets or particulate matter, may also be incorporated into oral pouches, chewable products, edible products, vaporizer additives and as a carrier for CBD and nicotine for transdermal patches.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 62/992,147 filed on Mar. 20, 2020, the contents of which are herebyincorporated in their entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGAPPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC AND INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OFTHE MATERIAL

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to smoking cessation products. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to compositions and methods ofmanufacture of homogenous reconstituted cannabis products containing CBDand nicotine for assisting in smoking cessation.

Description of the Related Art

Smoking tobacco and the use of other smokeless forms of tobacco are acontributory or causative factor in a number of diseases includingrespiratory diseases such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lunginfections, and lung cancer; cardiovascular disease; gastric andduodenal ulcers; and cancer of the lung, oral cavity, larynx andesophagus. Most regular smokers become addicted to, or dependent upon,the pharmacological effects of nicotine in tobacco smoke. Nicotine israpidly absorbed across the blood brain barrier and exerts a directaction on nicotine receptors in the spinal cord, autonomic ganglia andadrenal medulla.

Addiction to smoking is based upon a pharmacological dependence onnicotine. There are a number of acute symptoms of smoking cessationrelating to nicotine withdrawal including irritability, anxiety,insomnia and a craving for nicotine. The addictive nature of nicotineposes a major obstacle to those who wish to quit smoking, and a numberof approaches have been developed to aid individuals in their efforts tostop smoking. Smoking addiction is often accompanied by a type ofpsychological addiction to what is often referred to as a “hand andmouth ritual,” as well as to the feeling of “pulling” or “drawing” thesmoke during inhalation.

Smoking a cigarette delivers nicotine vapors to the lungs, wherenicotine is rapidly absorbed through the arteries and delivered to thebrain. Nicotine interacts with nicotine cholinergic receptors in thebrain to induce the release of neurotransmitters and produce animmediate reward—the “rush” that smokers experience—that is associatedwith a rapid rise in blood pressure level. A persistent stimulus is alsoproduced, and is associated with a high blood level of nicotine. Assuch, the dopaminergic reward system is activated which eventuallyresults in nicotine dependency. Complex behavioral and social aspects ofsmoking, e.g., the hand-to-mouth ritual, etc., are also habit-forming.

Although nicotine is responsible for the addictive nature of cigarettesmoking, many of the harmful health effects of smoking are attributableto other constituents in cigarette smoke. The combustion of tobacco incigarettes results in the production of up to 4,000 compounds and theinhalation of such unwanted by-products as tar, combustion gases and arange of carcinogens. Nicotine may be nitrosated to form highlycarcinogenic tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines in tobacco smoke, or in thecured smokeless tobacco for use as chewing tobacco or snuff. It is anunfortunate feature of cigarette smoking that the negative consequencesof nicotine addiction are largely manifested by the inhalation of toxicand carcinogenic materials generated by the combustion of tobacco.

Various attempts have been made to address cigarette health problemsthrough reformulation of cigarettes. For example, special blends oftobacco have been formulated for cigarettes with reduced levels of tarand nicotine. Unfortunately, each reduction of the tar and nicotinelevel has been accompanied by a corresponding reduced level of usersatisfaction requiring unhealthy longer, stronger puffs to increasesmoker's satisfaction. As such, sales of lowered tar and nicotinecigarettes, particularly those commercially classified as “ultra low tarand nicotine”, have not lived up to expectations. More recently, effortshave been made to altogether remove additives from cigarettes. Whilesuch “additive free” cigarettes may provide a purer tobacco smoke, it isunclear whether they provide any corresponding health benefits. In fact,in some cases, they have been shown to be stronger in tar and nicotinesince they contain relatively more tobacco than non-additive containingcigarettes.

Herbal cigarettes are an alternative to tobacco. However, herbal mattercan create manufacturing problems that differ from tobacco. Since herbsmay have different moisture content, surface structure and cut thantobacco, they may adhere to the walls of the making machine used to fillthe cigarette paper tube. This results in jamming of the making machine.It also results in cigarettes that are not adequately packed and mayfall apart. In addition, the herbal matter may deposit residue onto thewalls which may accumulates over time. Although great strides have beenmade, considerable shortcomings remain.

Alternatively, various smoking replacement therapies have been devisedto assist in smoking cessation. A common therapeutic approach to aid insmoking cessation is to provide the smoker with nicotine from sourcesother than cigarettes. Nicotine replacement therapy as an aid toquitting smoking has been practical for a large number of smokers eversince nicotine chewing gum (nicotine polacrilex) became availablecommercially. Nicotine gum is actually an ion-exchange resin thatreleases nicotine slowly when the patient chews, and the nicotinepresent in the mouth is delivered directly to the systemic circulationby buccal absorption. Nicotine gum, however, often tastes bad, and cancause an upset stomach and/or nausea.

Another means of nicotine replacement that is commercially available istransdermal administration of nicotine. For some time now, transdermaldelivery of nicotine has been known to be a means of administeringnicotine for smoking cessation therapy that could avoid the healthhazards, adverse effects, and inconvenience of other means of nicotineadministration, particularly nicotine gum.

During the manufacture of tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars,pipe tobacco and the like, a substantial portion of the tobaccoprocessed therefor is physically unsuitable for use therein as forinstance, tobacco stems. In part of the process for preparing tobaccoleaf into smoking tobacco products, it is necessary to strip the leaf toremove the stems and veins therefrom. The stems and veins formby-products which are used among other things for the production ofreconstituted tobacco. Manufacturing generally consists of a mixture ofwinnowings, leaf lamina, trimmings and shorts. It has been the generalpractice of tobacco manufacturers to process the manufacturing fine andstems in such a form so that they may be reused and incorporated as acomponent part of tobacco blends. In order to utilize the stems in themanufacturing lines, methods have been devised in which they areprocessed to form sheet-like material, known as reconstituted tobacco,which is then shredded and incorporated as “filler” in tobacco products.

Often, a typical paper making process is used to form reconstitutedtobacco. Paper machines usually have at least five distinct operationalsections:

Forming section, commonly called the wet end, is a continuous rotatingwire mesh which removes water from the paper by sucking it out ofsuspension via vacuum.

Press section, where the wet fibre web passes between large rolls loadedunder high pressure to squeeze out as much water as possible.

Drying section, where the pressed sheet passes partly around, in aserpentine manner, a series of steam heated drying cylinders. Dryingremoves the water content down to a level of about 6%, where it willremain at typical indoor atmospheric conditions. Infra-red driers arealso used to supplement cylinder drying where required.

Size Press section, where the semi-dried paper is applied with a thinlayer of starch and/or other chemicals to improve several paperproperties reduce dusting and air permeability, increase stiffness,bursting strength and short span compression

Calender section, where the dried paper is smoothened under high loadingand pressure. Only one nip (where the sheet is pressed between tworolls) is necessary in order to hold the sheet, which shrinks throughthe drying section and is held in tension between the press section (orbreaker stack if used) and the calender. Extra nips give more smoothing,but at some expense to paper strength.

Reel section, where paper coming out of the machine is wound ontoindividual spools for further processing.

Pulp for use in forming the slurry is generally formed using chemicalmethods. Chemical pulping dissolves the lignin that bonds fibres to oneanother, and binds the outer fibrils that compose individual fibres tothe fibre core. Lignin, like most other substances that can separatefibres from one another, acts as a debonding agent, lowering strength.Strength also depends on maintaining long cellulose molecule chains.

This process is typically considered only suitable as a method ofreducing waste and increasing efficiency in the making of smokabletobacco products. The formed reconstituted tobacco sheet materialgenerally loses much of its original flavor which is leached out of thetobacco, and when the reconstituted tobacco sheet material is dried tothe proper moisture level, it often has a dark color so that thematerial when mixed or incorporated into a tobacco blend, thecharacteristic color of the blend appears to be darkened. The processesgenerally employed necessitate a considerable amount of heat andmechanical working so that the stems and other portions of themanufacturing fines can be comminuted to an extremely small particlesize, thus requiring expensive equipment such as heating apparatus,storage tanks and homogenizers. Further, after the tobacco mixture iscast into sheet form, considerable heat either in the form of hot dryair or steam is needed to drive off the residual water containedtherein. The high temperatures required also drive off or diminish thenatural flavors from the tobacco. Therefore, this process is not appliedto the more desirable higher-quality parts of the tobacco plant.

Many pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals have been identified as possiblybeing useful in ameliorating the withdrawal symptoms experienced whenquitting smoking. One such compound is cannabidiol (“CBD”) found incannabis plants. However, CBD, as well as other ingredients of thecannabis plant, have often been consumed by smoking the cannabis plant.As a result, there have been many attempts to incorporate CBD intosmoking cessation programs in a manner that does not include smokingcannabis or tobacco.

The above-described deficiencies of today's systems are merely intendedto provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems,and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state ofthe art and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limitingembodiments may become further apparent upon review of the followingdetailed description.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed is homogeneous reconstituted cannabis materials and productsmanufactured therefrom. Nicotine is added to the reconstituted cannabisso that it may be used as replacement therapy in smoking cessationprograms.

In one embodiment, the invention provides a smokable reconstitutedcannabis for use in cigarettes, cigars and pipe smoking material. Aprocess for manufacturing reconstituted cannabis comprises the steps ofwashing cannabis leaves and stems, grinding the cannabis leaves andstems, mixing the ground cannabis leaves and stems with ground cannabisflower to form a pulp, adding water, cationic starch and nicotine to thepulp to form a slurry, adjusting the moisture content of the slurry toabout 50% and collecting liquid removed from the slurry, agitating theslurry for one or more hours, applying the slurry to a perforatedstainless steel belt using at least one high power sprayer to form asheet, drying the sheet by conveying the stainless steel belt through adryer, and applying the liquid removed from the slurry in step e to thedried sheet. The moisture content of the slurry can be adjusted bystraining the slurry to remove the collected liquid. During the dryingprocess, the sheet is optionally not heated to more than 200° F.

In another embodiment, the invention provides oral pouches manufacturedfrom reconstituted cannabis. In another embodiment, the inventionprovides reconstituted cannabis in chewable and edible products. Inanother embodiment, the invention provides reconstituted cannabis as acomponent of a transdermal patch. In another embodiment, the inventionprovides reconstituted cannabis for use in vaporizers. It is thereforean object of the present invention to provide a homogeneousreconstituted cannabis material containing nicotine as a replacement fortobacco products.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from a reading of the attached specification andappended claims. There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the moreimportant features of the invention in order that the detaileddescription thereof that follows may be better understood, and in orderthat the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.There are features of the invention that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention, and theattendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readilyunderstood by reference to the following detailed description whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a method of manufacturing reconstitutedcannabis in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a system for manufacturing reconstitutedcannabis in accordance with the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention iscapable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out invarious ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

The disclosed subject matter is described with reference to thedrawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to likeelements throughout. In the following description, for purposes ofexplanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to providea thorough understanding of the various embodiments of the subjectdisclosure. It may be evident, however, that the disclosed subjectmatter may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagramform in order to facilitate describing the various embodiments herein.Various embodiments of the disclosure could also include permutations ofthe various elements recited in the claims as if each dependent claimwas a multiple dependent claim incorporating the limitations of each ofthe preceding dependent claims, as well as the independent claims. Suchpermutations are expressly within the scope of this disclosure.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities ofingredients, dimensions, reaction conditions and so forth used in thespecification and claims are to be understood as being modified in allinstances by the term “about”. The term “a” or “an” as used herein means“at least one” unless specified otherwise. In this specification and theclaims, the use of the singular includes the plural unless specificallystated otherwise. In addition, use of “or” means “and/or” unless statedotherwise. Moreover, the use of the term “including”, as well as otherforms, such as “includes” and “included”, is not limiting. Also, termssuch as “element” or “component” encompass both elements and componentscomprising one unit and elements and components that comprise more thanone unit unless specifically stated otherwise.

Various embodiments of the disclosure could also include permutations ofthe various elements recited in the claims as if each dependent claimwas a multiple dependent claim incorporating the limitations of each ofthe preceding dependent claims as well as the independent claims. Thatis, the combinations of the various components of the invention are notlimited to those combinations expressly shown in the Figures. Unlessexpressly stated otherwise, components described in one embodiment maybe interchanged with components of the same name found in otherembodiments. Such permutations are expressly within the scope of thisdisclosure.

The methods of the present invention and their resulting compositionsand uses thereof include applying the methods for reconstituting tobaccowaste products to cannabis plant materials to provide homogenous andeasily-manipulated reconstituted cannabis material. Nicotine is added tothe reconstituted cannabis during the reconstitution process. The resultis a cannabis material that may be used in the formation of cannabiscigarettes or other smokable material, as well as in the formation ofchewable cannabis products, such as cannabis gum, edible cannabisproducts, and cannabis products for use in creating smokeless cannabispouches for oral use. In addition, the reconstituted cannabis may beutilized in wearable patches. The CBD in the cannabis is substantiallyretained during the reconstitution process. As a result, thereconstituted cannabis acts as a substrate or carrier for a combinationof synthetic or tobacco-derived nicotine and CBD. The addition of CBD tosmoking cessation products assists in alleviating many of the withdrawalsymptoms experienced by smokers when gradually reducing their nicotineintake. The methods of the invention may be used with all types ofcannabis including marijuana and hemp.

The reconstituted cannabis is formed using the entire cannabis plant,including leaves, stems, buds, and/or seeds, not just waste materialfrom other types of processing. This material is then ground to a smallparticle size and processed in the same manner in which waste tobacco isprocessed. For example, the ground cannabis material may be used to forman aqueous slurry. Various additives such as naturally derived orsythentic nicotine, flavorings, humectants, aerosol formers,preservatives or the like may optionally be added to the aqueous slurry.The moisture content of the aqueous slurry may then be reduced to under50% or less by weight if necessary. It is typically not necessary to addcellulose fibers as the cannabis materials generally provide sufficientstrength to the reconstituted cannabis end product.

If desired, the slurry may be subjected to a pulping process to separateit into a solubles portion and a fibrous portion. The solubles portionmay then be removed. The fibrous portion may optionally be subjected toa refining process to make it more suitable for typical papermakingprocesses. During the papermaking process, the moisture content of thematerial is further reduced. There are many methods known in the art forreducing the moisture content of the fibrous portion, such as forexample, straining, pressing, heating and desiccating. The material isthen pressed into a web to form a flat sheet. These additives can beadded to the sheet by spraying directly onto the flat sheet, preferablybelow 40° C. Optionally, additives can be applied prior to the dryingprocess. Unlike traditional, unprocessed cannabis, the reconstitutedcannabis of the invention is not clumpy, does not adhere to othermaterials, and is homogeneous.

In accordance with the present invention, nicotine is added to thereconstituted cannabis. Because nicotine and CBD have similarhygroscopic properties, the nicotine may be added in a diluted solutionprior to drying the cannabis sheet. The use of an aqueous slurry andnicotine dissolved in an aqueous solution encourages even distributionand adherence of the nicotine to the cannabis material in the slurry. Itis generally undesirable to use organic solvents in this process becausethey may leach nicotine and/or CBD from the fibrous cannabis materials.The reconstituted cannabis materials of the invention can be used ascomponents of a wide variety of products to replace tobacco. Flavoringscan also be added to the slurry. When nicotine, flavorings and/or otheradditives are added to the slurry prior to the drying process, it may bedesirable to dry the reconstituted cannabis at a lower temperature or bydesiccation in order to minimize degradation of the additives, as wellas the CBD. The resulting reconstituted cannabis will retain the CBD andhave evenly distributed nicotine. The reconstituted cannabis sheets orweb may be used as rod paper, may be cut up into particles of varioussizes to provide filler for smokable products, chewable products, oralproducts, edibles products, patches for transdermal delivery of CBD andnicotine, and vaporizers. This is possible because the reconstitutedcannabis acts as a superior and stable carrier of both the CBD, nicotineand flavorings.

Method of Manufacturing Reconstituted Cannabis.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a method for manufacturing reconstitutedcannabis 10 in accordance with the principles of the invention. First,the various components of the cannabis plant, such as the leaves andstems of a cannabis plant are cleaned in step 12 to remove sand, dirtand other unwanted matter. The cleaned hemp and cannabis flower isground separately in steps 14 and 16 using a mechanical pulping process.Optionally, the fiber and leaves, stems and flowers can be groundtogether simultaneously.

Chemicals are not used to remove the lignin in the Hemp. Instead, thehemp stem and leaves are pressed against a grinder that physicallyseparates the fibers. The resulting pulp is then run through highpressure rollers to crush the plant and expose the inner fiber. A Jordanrefiner or similar mechanism, such as a double disk refiner may be usedto grind and shorten the fibers. For the reconstituted cannabis of theinvention, shorter fibers are generally desirable, unlike most papermaking and reconstituted tobacco processes because tensile strength isnot an issue. For example, this mechanically produced pulp has shorterfiber lengths than chemically produced pulp and produces a sheet whichis flexible, but does not have as much tensile strength sheets formedusing typical paper manufacturing processes such as are typically usedin forming reconstituted tobacco. The flower and the found leaves/stemsare mixed in step 18 in order to provide the desired amount of variouscomponents, such as THC and CBD, in the final product. After the fibershave been ground, they may again be washed to decontaminate the hemp andremove sand and other contaminants.

The pulp is then mixed with water to produce a slurry in step 20. Inaddition, a cationic starch formulation is added to the slurry as anadhesive to bind the cannabis fibers together in the final sheet. Theslurry may be approximately 3-5% starch by volume depending on themixture of the blend between flower and biomass (stem). The starchcontent may be as high as 8 percent. Cationic starch is used because ithas a positive charge and is easily attracted by the negatively chargedcellulose hemp fiber. As a result the fiber-to-fiber bond is increased.This improves the retention of fine particles of hemp/cannabis flower toincrease the resulting sheet strength.

Nicotine and other additives such as terpenes and flavorings may also beadded to the slurry in desired amounts in step 22. This slurry mixturehas to sit in step 24 while being agitated for several hours to becomemalleable and for all of the ingredients to be fully mixed to create ahomogenous mixture. The slurry must be kept moving while it ‘rests’ toallow it to absorb the moisture and become pliable. Low heat is appliedto the slurry during this process to help speed the process. Surplusliquid is removed from the slurry in step 26 such that the slurry isabout 50% water. The liquid is removed using a mesh screen or similarmethod. The removed liquid is collected for later application to theresulting sheet, as described below.

After straining, the slurry, also referred to at this point as a mash,is applied to a stainless steel vacuum belt using high power spraynozzles in step 28 in what is commonly referred to as a meltblownprocess. The high pressure gun uses air pressure to achieve a consistentspray pattern using high viscosity materials but it does not add air tothe mixture.

The vacuum belt is similar to a vacuum cylinder in that it isperforated. This process is typically unsuitable for paper makingprocesses and is generally used when making a web of a polymer material.However, because the mash of the present invention is viscous and thick,it is unsuitable for application via a slice from a headbox. Therefore,high pressure sprayers are used to evenly apply the viscous mash to thebelt to form a sheet. The belt then moves through a dryer, or dryingtunnel, in step 30. The dryer uses heated air to dry the sheet,preferably at a temperature below 200° F., but may be as high as 250° F.The temperature can be as high as 350° F., but this tends to degrade thecomponents of the sheet. Even lower temperature is generally morepreferable but not practical given the confines of a typicalmanufacturing set up.

The sheet exits the dryer in step 32 having a moisture content of lessthan 20%, preferably 8-10%. At this point, additional nicotine or otheringredients may be applied to the sheet in step 34. During step 34, theliquid removed during step 26 is re-applied to the sheet, thusminimizing waste. During step 38, the sheet is dried and cured, andformed into a roll or cut as needed to form reconstituted cannabis.Finally, in step 40, the reconstituted cannabis is used as filler forsmokable articles, smokeless tobacco alternatives or the like.

The difference between the meltblown sheet process and the presentinvention is that instead of just going on the vacuum drum, a stainlesssteel belt extends through a series of low temperature dryers to a drum.This allows time for the cannabis mixture to dry without the use of hightemperatures that can degrade the THC and CBD in the mixture. (Meltblownmaterial dries very quickly so spraying a cannabis mixture on a drumonly doesn't give sufficient time for the mixture to dry) The resultingrough sheet is then fed between high pressure rollers to strengthen thebond of the material and create a smoother finish. By varying thepercentage of flower to biomass we can change the composition of thefinal sheet. This process uses only the cannabis mass without the needfor other bonding fiber to be added.

Once the dried and pressed sheet is finished it may be cut into a ‘cutrag’ for use in standard cigarette making equipment or cut into a finerform for use in oral and transdermal use. Since all of the material wasfully mixed in the slurry the finished sheet has a homogenous form andwill exhibit the same levels of THC; CBD etc. throughout.

FIG. 2 shows a system 50 for manufacturing reconstituted cannabis inaccordance with principles of the invention. A container 52 holds theslurry which is agitated as it rests until it is suitable for formingreconstituted cannabis. It is applied to a stainless steel perforatedbelt 54 using high power spray nozzles 56. The belt 54 moves acrossconveyors 58, 60 and 62. As the belt 54 moves in the processingdirection 64, it carries the sheet through the dryer 70. When the sheetexits the dryer, additional materials may be applied to it usingsprayers 72, such as nicotine, flavorings, and the liquid removed fromthe slurry prior to application to the belt. Optionally, the sheet 68 ispressed by rollers 74 to a desired width and is finally rolled on abobbin 76.

This system allows for small or large batches to be produced withoutchanging the overall system. Compared to the typical ‘reconstitutedpaper’ process used for tobacco, there is no waste material left in theslurry. In that process the loss can be as much as 40%, and in most ofthese cases wood pulp or other fiber must be added to create the bondnecessary to have a finished sheet. In our process, everything mixed inthe slurry tank is shot though the gun virtually eliminating all waste.The vacuum cylinder combined with the stainless steel drying beltprotects the cannabis and prevents degradation due to high dryingtemperatures.

Smokable Cannabis.

To manufacture a smokable cannabis cigarette, the reconstituted cannabiscan be cut to very small size to form cannabis filler material. Thefiller material is then used to form a cylindrical rod. Thereconstituted cannabis can also be cut into smaller sheets for use asrod paper. Cannabis rod paper, thus formed, may be used to wrap thefiller material to form a cannabis cigarette. Cannabis filler can alsobe used as filler for cigars formed from tobacco leaves or othermaterials. Cannabis filler may also be used as an alternative to pipetobacco for use in pipes.

The reconstituted cannabis does not adhere to paper or other materials.Thus, it is unnecessary to add lubricants to the reconstituted cannabiswhen manufacturing a cannabis cigarette. The small size of the particlesformed by cutting reconstituted cannabis allows it to be packed moretightly than cannabis which has not been reconstituted. Thereconstituted cannabis also does not “clump.” Therefore, thereconstituted cannabis cigarettes are not prone to falling apart andsmokes more evenly.

Reconstituted cannabis for use with smokable products can be formedhaving relatively low levels of nicotine, far below normal levels foundin regular tobacco cigarettes. A tobacco smoker may replace regularcigarettes with the smokable cannabis cigarette as part of a smokingcessation program. The smoker may gradually move to cannabis cigaretteseach having a lower level of nicotine. The CBD present in the cannabiscigarettes alleviates withdrawal symptoms experienced by smokers. Theuse of a cannabis cigarette also allows a smoker to continue toexperience both the drawing-in of smoke and the “hand and mouth ritual”that can also be part of the addiction to smoking. Thus, thereconstituted cannabis cigarette allows a smoker to more easily complywith a smoking cessation program.

Oral Products.

The reconstituted cannabis may also be cut into filler of various sizesand used to manufacture oral pouches suitable for smokeless tobaccocessation programs. Plasticizers or other materials may optionally beadded to the slurry of cannabis material in order to form reconstitutedcannabis sheets suitable for use in forming the pouch itself, whilecannabis filler is used to fill the pouches. The pouches may alsooptionally contain other materials providing flavoring. Both the pouchesand the cannabis filler may be formed from the reconstituted cannabiscut into sizes larger or smaller than those used in the smokablereconstituted cannabis products. As with the smokable reconstitutedcannabis, the use of oral pouches allows the user to continue toexperience the oral sensations associated with oral tobacco use whilegradually reducing the amount of nicotine ingested. The CBD present inthe reconstituted cannabis again alleviates withdrawal symptoms.

Chewable and Edible Products.

Gums and edible materials may also be formed using reconstitutedcannabis in accordance with the principles of the invention. Since theseproducts are masticated, the reconstituted cannabis may be cut intoparticles of greater size than those used for smokable reconstitutedcannabis. Flavorings, humectants, and/or plasticizers may be used in themanufacture of the reconstituted cannabis. This allows the flavor andtexture of the cannabis gum or edible products to be modified to improvethe experience of chewing or eating these products.

Transdermal Patches.

The reconstituted cannabis material is also suitable for use intransdermal patches for delivery of CBD and nicotine. Sheets ofreconstituted cannabis may be placed in one or more layers in the patchbetween the skin of the user and the various delivery compositions ofthe patch. This creates a flow of the delivery composition through thereconstituted cannabis in order to improve uptake of the CBD andnicotine through the skin.

Vaporizer Products.

Vaporizers have rapidly grown in popularity both recreationally and as asmoking cessation aid. Reconstituted cannabis sheets or particles may beadded to pods or dry material for use in vaporizers. Utilizing thinsheets of reconstituted cannabis or filler of very small sized particlesmay be included in the pods or dry material to provide a combination ofCBD and nicotine to the user. Aerosol formers may be added either beforeor after the drying process in order to improve the conversion of CBDand nicotine in the reconstituted cannabis from a solid into a vapor orcolloidal dispersion.

Whereas, the present invention has been described in relation to thedrawings attached hereto, other and further modifications, apart fromthose shown or suggested herein, may be made within the spirit and scopeof this invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that theconception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilizedas a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systemsfor carrying out the several purposes of the present invention.Descriptions of the embodiments shown in the drawings should not beconstrued as limiting or defining the ordinary and plain meanings of theterms of the claims unless such is explicitly indicated. The claimsshould be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar asthey do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1. A process for manufacturing reconstituted cannabis comprising thesteps of: a) washing cannabis leaves and stems; b) grinding the cannabisleaves and stems; c) mixing the ground cannabis leaves and stems withground cannabis flower to form a pulp; d) adding water, cationic starchand nicotine to the pulp to form a slurry; e) adjusting the moisturecontent of the slurry to about 50% and collecting liquid removed fromthe slurry; f) agitating the slurry for one or more hours; g) applyingthe slurry to a perforated stainless steel belt using at least one highpower sprayer to form a sheet; h) drying the sheet by conveying thestainless steel belt through a dryer; and, i) applying the liquidremoved from the slurry in step e to the dried sheet.
 2. The process formanufacturing reconstituted cannabis of claim 1 wherein the moisturecontent of the slurry is adjusted by straining the slurry to remove thecollected liquid.
 3. The process for manufacturing reconstitutedcannabis of claim 2 wherein the sheet is not heated to more than 200° F.